KEY POINTS
- OPS called on Tinubu to engage National Assembly leadership to step down the CETA Bill
- The bill proposes a percentage levy per litre of retail price on non-alcoholic beverages
- OPS warned the bill raises social, economic, administrative and legal issues that threaten fiscal reform goals
The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria on Monday called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt the CETA bill passage, warning that the proposed Customs, Excise and Tariff Amendment Bill threatens to undermine the administration’s broader fiscal reform agenda.
The group, comprising MAN, NACCIMA, NECA, NASSI and NASME, published its position in a joint advertorial that all five member body presidents signed. The CETA bill passage would introduce a percentage levy per litre of retail price on non-alcoholic beverages.
Step down the bill, OPS urges
Meanwhile, the group urged the federal government to engage National Assembly leadership directly to step down the bill before lawmakers advance it further. The OPS argued this would allow executive-led fiscal reforms to integrate fully and align with existing policy frameworks.
“While we fully support well-designed fiscal reforms and evidence-based public health interventions, we are concerned that the Bill, in its current form, raises significant social, economic, administrative, and legal issues that could undermine Your Excellency’s broader fiscal reform objectives,” the group stated.
Evidence-based engagement over rushed legislation
Furthermore, the OPS said halting the bill would open the door to structured, evidence-based engagement with industry stakeholders. Additionally, the group argued that any future excise measures should balance revenue generation, public health objectives and economic sustainability.
The private sector bloc also warned that passing the bill in its current form risks weakening policy coherence and reducing predictability in Nigeria’s excise framework — concerns it said the administration’s own reform program already seeks to address.
